Homemade Vegetable Broth Herbs (Printable)

A deeply flavored broth made from herbs and vegetable scraps, perfect for cooking bases.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetable Scraps

01 - 4 cups assorted vegetable scraps (onion peels, carrot ends, celery leaves, leek greens, mushroom stems, parsley stems, garlic skins)
02 - 1 small potato, chopped (optional)

→ Fresh Vegetables

03 - 1 onion, quartered
04 - 2 carrots, roughly chopped
05 - 2 celery stalks, chopped

→ Herbs & Seasonings

06 - 2 bay leaves
07 - 5 sprigs fresh parsley
08 - 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
09 - 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
10 - 2 cloves garlic, smashed
11 - 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
12 - 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (optional)

→ Liquid

13 - 10 cups cold water

# How to Prepare:

01 - Place all vegetable scraps, optional potato, and fresh vegetables into a large stockpot.
02 - Add bay leaves, parsley, thyme, black peppercorns, garlic, salt, and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice if using.
03 - Pour in cold water and stir to combine all ingredients.
04 - Heat over high heat until boiling, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
05 - Skim off any foam that rises within the first 10 minutes of simmering.
06 - Simmer uncovered for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally to enhance flavor extraction.
07 - Remove the pot from heat and allow the broth to cool slightly before straining.
08 - Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a large bowl or container, discarding solids.
09 - Taste the broth and adjust salt or acidity as desired.
10 - Use immediately or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze for up to 3 months.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You'll stop throwing away vegetable scraps the moment you taste how flavorful and complex homemade broth becomes.
  • This broth costs almost nothing and makes every soup, risotto, and sauce taste noticeably better.
  • Once you master this, you'll find yourself saving scraps specifically to make it again.
02 -
  • Never use cabbage, broccoli, or beet peels unless you specifically want their strong taste to dominate—they'll overpower everything else in the pot.
  • The moment you taste broth that's been simmered gently for a full hour versus rushed, you'll understand why patience is the most important ingredient here.
  • If your broth tastes flat or one-dimensional after cooling, a small squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch more salt often brings it alive in seconds.
03 -
  • Always start with cold water—it extracts flavors gently and keeps your broth clear and clean rather than cloudy.
  • Save vegetable scraps in the freezer until you have enough to make a full pot; this actually concentrates flavors and makes planning easier.

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